Come From Away - Phoenix / U.K & Ireland Tour 2024

Ah cool. I've a day off tomorrow so may try for evening tickets

Something else I forgot to mention (I will review properly later!), but I was amazed, two hours before the matinee I went to collect my ticket from the small box office not at the entrance to the theatre as I wasn't gonna have time to collect it later. The line for tickets was going out of the door of people booking tickets for future shows. I was very surprised!

Right. I guess it's time to review this without crying again.

This is, in my opinion, one of the best new shows to hit London in a good few years. One of the best musicals I've ever seen quite frankly. I absolutely loved it from start to finish.

The cast are uniformly excellent, with special mentions for Emma Slavo and Rachel Tucker, who both bring the house down. It's great to see such a strong ensemble work together so well, barely leaving the stage and looking like they are having the time of their lives. Of course the band should also be mentioned, who become a part of the show a few times and really feel like a part of the Ensemble.

It's hilarious in moments, yet utterly heartbreaking in others. I was so moved in several moments, especially song-wise I Am Here, Stop the World, Me and The Sky and bizzarely, Somewhere in the Middle of Nowhere, which listening too I don't find emotional, but watching it live had me in floods of tears.

It felt so human, raw and real. I think, to see this perspective of the tragedy, it's something I've never really thought of. Being just 7 when 9/11 happened, I remember thinking about the tragedy and all the lives lost, but never the people on the other side affected to the extent it did affect us. That day changed the lives of all of us in some way, and to see how it directly affected some was so tough to watch. I found it tough because of a personal thing that happened in my life I won't bore you with, but seeing that reflected onto the stage was so emotional.

This show will spread like wildfire. Even if it doesn't get the reviews, word of mouth will spread like it is already. The cheers and applause in the room were deafening, and at the end, being sat in the Upper, every single person was instantly on their feet. It was amazing and just electric.

I'm so happy to see the success this show is already having. It deserves to win Best New Musical in a heartbeat at the Olivier's and watch it happen! I'm so happy this show is here.

5*

Has anyone taken pictures of the pinboard? I'd love to know how it looks at the moment (and I'm curious to see if a fellow Spaniard has been there).

Have to say, it's making me quite emotional seeing how loved this show is already! I knew it'd be the case but it's reassuring and wonderful to see you all enjoying it so much. ❤️

I am SO excited for my impending visit after reading all your verdicts of this show. I've been looking forward to it for so long.

I work in aviation and the story of what happened in Gander after 9/11 has long been of particular interest for me.

Oh Daniel

Thought you said from listening to the cast recording, you were going to swerve on this one?

Great to have a convert to the cause.

Echoing into the void that this is such a wonderful show and you must go and see it!

I havent felt such a strong word of mouth for a show in quite some time, its almost an unexplainable show but it is so well crafted and performed. I wouldnt want to see it again though (unless i was taking friends or something), it is so powerful that for me its just a one viewing is enough show if that makes sense.

the little badges, merch, and theatre themeing are cute and fun. a very bold visual design that stands out, i wish it all its success!

i was sat in the grand circle row B and i didnt feel far away at all, infact it was a perfect view seat, nice to see the overall picture and look at it all. its very well staged.

I saw it last night.

I can pick a few holes in the writing - the lyrics, in places, are a bit pedestrian - but it's an incredibly effective piece of theatre. I was living in Canada on 9/11 (although not in Newfoundland), this is part of the story I watched unfold on the news that week, and I found the show very moving indeed. It's a pity not every song in it is as good as 'Welcome to the Rock' and 'Me and the Sky', but this is one of those pieces of theatre where the whole is (much) greater than the sum of the parts. Clever direction, excellent performances, and I particularly loved Rachel Tucker.

I did NOT particularly love the way the lights went down while three or four dozen people in the dress circle were still taking their seats. That's bad house management; somewhere in the communication chain, somebody slipped up. It wouldn't have killed anybody to hold the show for another 90 seconds.

I know I'm contradicting a lot of posts I've previously made here but I thought this show was well too loud. The EQ on the vocals was too brutal as a result and the speech intelligibility suffered as a result.
It took a good 15-20 mins for my ears to adjust to the volume and thus for accents and diction to settle.
I think there's an obscene amount of PA there for the show and the venue. I get why, as its done for placement. Vocals come out of different hangs depending on where on stage the actor is, so those further up/back get a better concept of the sound imagary, but I think the show suffers as a consequence.
I'd be interested to know firefingers opinion on this, as we've clashed previously on sound here but I thing we may be in agreement this time round.

A foreword by Justin Trudeau! I'm IN!